The present invention relates to the field of overbed tables.
Overbed tables are commonly used in hospitals, nursing homes and the like, to provide a convenient surface on which the patient may store personal items and medical personnel may set wash basins, assorted medicines and bandaging materials used in treatment. The conventional overbed table has a floor mounted stand supported by casters. An adjustable vertical post is positioned at one end of the floor stand and a table top is mounted on the top of the post. A locking mechanism is included within the post to enable the table top to be raised and lowered and fixed at a desired height.
While the table is referred to as an overbed table, it is not so limited. The table can also be moved about the room and positioned in front of or next to a chair for ease of access by a patient.
The conventional overbed table has a single surface upon which all of the above mentioned items can be placed. This frequently causes problems when personal items are on the top of the table and it is necessary to find space for a large item, such as a food tray. In order to help solve this problem, an overbed table is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,295 issued Dec. 29, 1987, which has two vertically stacked tops. The upper surface can be used to conveniently store personal items, medicines and the like, while the lower surface can be moved away from the upper surface to provide a clear surface for supporting a food tray. While this overbed table is a substantial improvement over the table having only a single top, it does have the disadvantage of having a large heavy frame for supporting the two table tops and the necessary slide mechanisms to provide for movement of both the table tops. The resulting substantial weight makes it difficult to adjust the height of the table relative to the patient and the complex mechanism for moving one table top relative to the other presents both a mechanical and a sanitary problem. The springs, levers, slide tracks and the like present fertile areas for dirt to collect which are difficult to clean.